


To Be Alone With You

by arcanesupernova



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Friends With Benefits, Love Triangles, Pining, Smut, Smut in first chapter, Unrequited Love, i play with stardew expanded so if lore from that slips in my apologies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:28:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22734103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcanesupernova/pseuds/arcanesupernova
Summary: Luna left behind her life in Zuzu City to find her peace in Stardew Valley but the stress overwhelms her. Thinking she's made some poor life choices, she goes home with new a friend at the Stardrop only to find herself alone in the morning with a whole town now staring down their noses at her, including the one she can't seem to take her eye off of.
Relationships: Sebastian/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Shane/Female Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 44





	1. Use Somebody

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, so this has been sitting in my GDocs for over two months now and I've picked over it enough times now that I finally feel comfortable posting it.

“Another day, another dollar,” she reminded herself again, absentmindedly pulling her septum ring down from its hiding place within her nose and sliding it back and forth as she looked over her expense report for what felt like the hundredth time. “Just gotta get through the day and then it’s over. Then I get to go home and try to forget this place exists for the weekend.” 

Conceding to the fact that it was good as it was going to get, she scrolled up and clicked print before she could let herself doubt it for the third time. It was just another expense report, one of the thousands she had pushed out in her tenure here and she just wanted to be done with it. Her sigh of relief was stolen away as an email popped up on her screen, asking for the copy she had of last week’s report to be sent up along with this week‘s. With a frustrated sigh, she pulled open her top drawer and started digging through the mess of papers within. As her fingertips rifled through the papers, an old white envelope caught her eye. She pulled it from the back of the drawer to find her family crest emblazoned on the front of it. How could she have forgotten about it? Her grandfather had told her when she was seventeen that she should only open it when she truly felt the burden of modern life. She had shoved it in the desk ten years ago when she was still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and now she was finally coming around to what he truly meant.

With a trembling hand, she broke the seal, sliding out a few sheets of aged parchment. Her eyes stung at the sight of her grandfather’s script, something she thought she would never have the pleasure of seeing again.

_Luna,_

_If you’re reading this, you must be in dire need of a change...._

She read the letter, and then again for good measure. The old farm? Tombstone Farm? No one had been out there since her grandfather had passed and she wasn’t even sure anyone had been doing upkeep on the old place. Hell, what was she even thinking? Could she just leave? It wasn’t like she meant anything to anyone here at Joja and save for her sister, Nova, she really didn’t have much going in the realm of her personal life. The thought of just leaving this place, just picking up and walking out of Joja and never looking back thrilled her. Looking over the deed one more time, expecting to find a small trademark for some prank company but despite her scrutiny, it appeared as real as they come. She dropped the expense report, ‘ _The last one?’_ she thought herself, in her outgoing tray and let her feet guide her into the breakroom. The room was blissfully empty, and she quickly found what she didn’t even realize she was looking for; a small cardboard box. Her feet led her back to her desk where she started shoving her belongings into it, officially making the decision her body had already decided on. She was going to walk out of here and never return.

* * *

The bus ride was long, but she spent the ride catching up on long forgotten fanfiction she had let fall to the wayside and texting back and forth with her sister. Nova wasn’t thrilled to find out her sister would be leaving the city, but reconciled it with herself, in her words, “At least someone would be taking care of that old place.” She sure as hell wasn’t going to be coming out to take care of it. As much as she loved her sister, Luna could still acknowledge the fact that, despite her best intentions, her sister was the definition of flighty. She would pick up an idea and run with it before it would inevitably fall to the wayside and be left forgotten. Luna had done the clean up on her fair share of well intention, although ultimately abandoned, ventures only to turn around to have to watch as her sister grew excited about the next idea that popped into her mind. Still, Luna was glad to have her sister’s blessing, especially since she was already taking a leaf out of her sister’s book. By the time she even called to let her sister in on her plans, she had all of her most important belongings packed and had been sending phone calls from Joja straight to voicemail for over a week.

As her destination came into view, Luna’s stomach started doing backflips. She stepped onto that bus feeling more confident than she had ever felt with her decision but as the city disappeared behind her, the fear of a sudden change was beginning to overwhelm her. She closed her browser, unable to focus on the steamy love scene the story had spent over twenty chapters building up to and instead spent her last silent minutes focusing on steadying her breathing. When the bus finally lurched to a stop, she took one last steadying breath, grabbing her bags and preparing to exit the bus. This was it. Determination flooded her again and she exited the bus with her head held high. There was no going back to Joja now. It was this or, well, she didn’t know. There wasn’t another option.

She was met at the bus stop by a redhead woman, beaming at her brightly as she climbed off the bus. Her long black skirt hit the ground before her trembling foot did, dirt kicking up into her flip flop once both feet hit the ground. Luna didn’t know what she was thinking, wearing a skirt and _flip flops_ to start her first day on a farm. Not wanting to start beating herself up so early, she quietly praised herself for at least choosing a tank top to pair with the skirt as sweat beaded on her brow. The redheaded woman introduced herself as Robin, the local carpenter and explained that the town’s mayor, Lewis, had sent her to show her to her farm. Tucking a red tendril behind her ear, she followed Robin as she excitedly explained the upgrades she could offer to the farm, provided that Luna had the gold. Another pang of fear shot through her. If the town carpenter was already offering her services, the place must be in worse shape than she imagined.

“Ah! There’s the new farmer!” a jovial voice from the porch of a dilapidated old building called out as they entered the clearing. He took care as he climbed down the rickety front steps, looking up at the building with a proud smile. She smiled politely back, staring over the vast but overgrown fields searching for the house, grateful for the shed at least to store her farming equipment in. “Luna, right? I’m Lewis, the town’s mayor.” He spoke jovially, his smile truly reaching his eyes as he clasped his hand around Luna’s, shaking it firmly. She reciprocated hesitantly, unsure of how to take his demeanor. She was accustomed to politicians, what with how many flitted in and out of Joja to meet with the CEO, but Lewis didn’t rub her the same way they did. For one, his hands were actually staying firmly rooted in his pocket.

She shook the thought away, listening to Robin and Lewis bicker back and forth about the house. She looked around the large field again, wondering where this house could possibly be before her eyes fell back on the shed in front of her.

_Wait, no. You have to be joking._

“Well, Luna, welcome to the Valley,” Lewis said, catching her attention again as she tore her eyes away from the mistake she had most certainly made. “You’re probably tired from your trip but you should make sure to introduce yourself to the townsfolk,” he told her warmly. “You’re the talk of the town right now, it’s not often we get newcomers.”

“Y-Yeah, I’ll do that,” she replied, her eyes snapping back to the house. “N-No one’s been taking care of it? Like, at all?” she asked nervously, her eyes following the thick vines climbing up the side of the building.

“W-Well, no. Not really,” Lewis admitted hesitantly. “There was intention to, but you know how things are. Things fall to the wayside.”

“Don’t worry about it kid. There’s great soil under all that mess out there,” Robin assured her with a warm smile and gentle rub of her arm. “And like I mentioned earlier, if you’re not satisfied with the state of the cottage, I could always come by and fix it up a little for you.” Robin winked at her, her smile turning into a cheeky grin, frustrating Lewis with her shrewd business tactics.

“N-N-Now, now, Robin. Let the poor girl get herself situated before you start pestering her about your special upgrade packages,” Lewis chastised her, waggling a finger in her face as he spoke. Robin held up her hands in surrender, seeming to calm Lewis down enough for his own warm smile to return as he turned to face Luna. “You just get some rest, alright? You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you.”

“Thanks,” Luna murmured sarcastically as she surveyed the abundant boulders and trees sprinkled over the property. She took a steadying breath before returning to the old man and equipping the cheeriest tone she had. “Well, thank you so much! I’ll see you in town, I suppose.” The smile plastered to her face seemed to be hiding her anxiety well enough as they returned it before departing.

* * *

She didn’t know what she should do first. The exterior of the cottage was enough for her mind to go into overdrive about the plethora of creatures that could be crawling around in every nook and cranny. She resolved instead to take a walk around the property, carrying the old tools Lewis had left on the porch with a note. “ _Take care of the old place, Moonie._ ”

Her eyes welled up at the old nickname. According to her mother, her grandfather hadn’t been the biggest fan of her naming choices but still agreed to accept his daughter’s choice. Her parents were new-age hippies and had given both her and her sister normal, albeit unconventional names. He ended up giving Luna the loving nickname of Moonie, which she preferred over the less than friendly Loonie she had been called in elementary school. Her sister Nova didn’t get a nickname, however. By the time she was born, their grandfather was slipping down the slope of poor health that would eventually be the end of him.

She smashed and chopped whatever rocks and logs she came across, creating a small path from the small pond closest to her cottage over to the larger pond in the middle of the property. Looking into the water, she was dismayed to find the water dingy and what she could make out looked to be mostly trash and debris. The water felt cool on her skin as she reached in and dug out as much trash as she could grab ahold of. The idea of having a place to swim during the summer, especially one that offered more privacy than the local beach tickled the back of her mind and allowed her to ignore the slimy coat of pond water covering her arm as she dug deeper and deeper into the filthy water, piling all of the trash in a pile next to her.

When she couldn’t reach anything else, she shook her arm until the last of the slimy water droplets had dripped off of her skin. With the sun setting in the west, she trudged back to the cottage with her garbage from the pond, resting it by the door as she prepared herself to walk inside. Chewing her bottom lip, she pushed the door open with her trembling hand, closing her eyes as the door swung open. Luna opened one eye slowly, letting out a sigh of relief at the sight within.

The cottage was run down, sure, but it seemed the years of neglect hadn’t affected the structure too harshly. A large fireplace blazed on the back wall, courtesy of Lewis she could only assume. Right inside the door, a large bed was shoved against the wall adorned with a patchwork quilt, one she recognized fondly. Her grandmother had stitched it together for Nova and Luna to use when they visited the cottage, although the season after she made it, a family falling out had rendered it useless and the two girls hadn’t been back since. A small smile grew on her cheeks at the thought of it finally being used for its intended purpose, no matter how many years later.

She brought all of her luggage into the house and stored all of her clothes in the rickety dresser at the foot of her bed. She looked around for any signs of internet accessibility, finding none but resolving to remedy that as soon as possible. While she may not have had many people around her in the city, she still had a small collection of online friends waiting to hear that she hadn’t died of tetanus in the old cottage. She checked her phone, dismayed to find only one small bar to provide whatever internet needs she may have. Dread filled her at the thought of all the creature comforts she had unwittingly forgone. 

Realizing it was only six-thirty, it was far too early to head to bed but still too late to do anything else out on the farm. An adventure into town seemed to be in order, if only to just become more acquainted with her surroundings and hunt for a hint of better signal. Checking her appearance in the dusty mirror by the door, she found her usually fair skin already a few shades darker from it’s exposure to the sun. Making a mental note to pick up sunscreen as soon as possible, she pushed the door open and followed the path into town.

* * *

The local general store, Pierre’s, had closed for the night by the time she stopped by, but she took note of the hours, planning to be there by nine am sharp to get the seeds she’d need to start her first crop of the season. The only place that seemed to show any signs of life was the Saloon to the south of the general store, fortunately with the added benefit of improving signal as she neared it. With a deep sigh, she pushed the door open, hoping it wouldn’t be like in the movies where all talking ceased and everyone turned to stare at her.

“Luna!” Lewis called from a round table where he seemed to be locked in a deep conversation with a heavier set woman with a kind face. “I’m glad you found time to stop by. This is Gus’ Saloon, The Stardrop.”

“Th-Thank you,” Luna nodded, surveying the room and all of the eyes currently working her over as they digested her entire appearance.

“Luna? Luna Butler?” asked a blue haired woman from behind the bar. “As in Amos Butler’s granddaughter?”

“One and the same,” Luna replied, pulling her arm in tight to shield herself from the prying eyes around her.

“Come over here and have a seat,” the woman offered, gesturing to the barstool in front of her. Luna approached anxiously, sitting down next to an irritable looking man wearing a JojaMart uniform. He shot her a dirty look at first, but she bit her tongue and turned away from him. She knew what life was like as a Joja slave and refused to antagonize someone who was going through the same hell she had gone through.

“Your grandfather was such a great man in the Valley. I didn’t know him very well, but he would always bring my sister and I gems he found in the mines when he would come to visit with my father,” the blue haired bartender gushed, beaming at the memory as the rude man next to her snorted.

“That was really nice of him,” Luna offered softly, her eyes flicking back over to the angry man. His attention had returned to the gridball game playing on the TV, a scowl growing on his face as what she assumed was the opposing team scored again.

“Tunneler fan?” she asked, speaking before she even realized what she was doing. His eyes returned to her as a commercial started, a scowl spreading over his face.

“Yeah, unfortunately.”

“Their last season wasn’t too bad,” she continued hesitantly, “ I still think the ref made a bad call. The Panthers were out of line.” There had been an uproar in her office the morning after the Tunnelers lost their chance at the MegaBowl, countless arguments breaking out as soon as she stepped into the breakroom.

“Huh, didn’t take you for a sports fan,” he told her, an eyebrow raised. Truth be told, she really wasn’t. She liked her horror movies and seeing people running for their lives, but sports games were just too… ‘peppy’ for her liking. She shrugged, keeping the truth private for now as she raised her hand the blue haired woman behind the counter.

“I’ll have a beer, uh-”

“Emily,” the man next to her filled in. She nodded in thanks, asking for another round for her new friend as well. “Y-You don’t have to do that,” he insisted, a pink hue rising to his cheeks as Emily smiled knowingly at them before turning away to fetch her order.

“Eh, so I’m nice to people, sue me,” she shrugged, grinning at him. “So if that’s Emily, you are…?”

“Shane.”

“Well, hello Shane, it’s nice to meet you.”

Shane snorted into the remnants of his glass, keeping whatever joke he was laughing at a secret as she shifted on her stool. Emily returned with their beers, the foam frothing at the top as she rested them in front of them. Luna pulled out her wallet, preparing to pay when Emily waved her off with a smile. 

“Don’t worry about it, it’s on the house.”

“Thanks, Emily.”

“So tell me everything,” Emily gushed, her eyes finally digesting her the same way all of the others in the room had. “Why come all the way out here to Pelican Town to live on that abandoned old farm?”

“I, uh-”

“No, no, let me guess,” Emily interrupted, closing her eyes and resting her hand on Luna’s. “You’re running from something- No, you’re running to something. A sense of purpose, perhaps?”

“I-I worked for Joja,” Luna admitted, surprised by the spiritual turn the conversation had taken, “I couldn’t take living out there in that rat race so I decided to make a change.”

Next to her, Shane snorted into his beer again, his heavy lids finally lifting to meet her questioning gaze. “Don’t go too far to the east of town then,” he warned her, “The beacon of hell shines bright from over there.”

“Oh, stop Shane,” Emily giggled, covering her mouth to stifle it as much as possible, “You sound like Elliot.” Her eyes flicked to a long haired man chatting up an auburn haired woman, his poise suggesting exactly the kind of men that usually made her cringe.

“Where do you think I learned it from? I’ve had to suffer through five poetry nights here because Gus is too nice to that asshole,” Shane growled, his eyes burning holes into the back of the poet's head.

“O-Oh, he can’t be that bad, can he?” Luna asked, looking between the two before turning back to watch Elliott. His hair was something of sheer magic.

“He talks like he’s better than everyone around him,” Shane spat, finally tearing his gaze away from Elliott and back to his beer. “‘The sweet friction of pen and paper is the music of my soul.’ What a fucking joke.”

“Shane, be nice,” Emily snapped, all traces of humor evaporating from her face. “You don’t have to like everyone you meet, but Elliott’s a part of the town.”

“You fuckin’ started it!” Luna sat between the two, her eyes bouncing between the two before Shane let out a laugh and ordered another beer, raising an eyebrow to her, “You want another?”

* * *

“You live close, right?” Shane slurred a couple hours later, using the bar to keep the balance he’d lost all control over. 

“Just right past the bus stop,” Luna grinned, having her own issues with her balance, “Are you going to be a gentleman and walk me home?”

“Oh, if there’s anything that I, Shane Anderson, am, it’s a gentleman,” he asserted, pointing his finger up proudly as he made his point. Luna let a giggle slip out and Shane dropped his act, a goofy frown spreading across his face.

“Alright, Mr. Gentleman,” Luna blushed, standing up and wavering in her place. “Would you do me the honor of escorting me home?”

“Look at the state of you, I’d be a monster if I didn’t,” Shane laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they stumbled out of the saloon, zigzagging as they walked back to her farm.

“I had a lot of fun with you tonight,” Luna admitted as they passed by the bus stop. Her farm was coming into view and she found a sinking feeling in her gut at the thought of him leaving her so soon.

“Y-Yeah, usually I keep to myself but when you have someone funneling you drinks…” he said, stumbling under her weight before straightening back up.

“Oh, is that all it was then,” Luna asked, feigning offense as she looked up at him.

“Well, I mean, you do have a pretty nice ass too, so that didn’t hurt.”

“You wanna see more?” Her voice came out as a whisper, and she was just as shocked at her bold words as Shane was.

“Y-You sure about that?” he asked quietly. Much to her dismay, he stopped just short of the steps of her cottage, letting her go. His missing warmth steeled her resolve and she allowed the alcohol in her system to guide her tongue.

“Well, I’ve been pretty stressed out since I got here,” she admitted, moving closer to toy with his lapel, “and I know a pretty good stress reliever… If you were interested, of course.”

“You barely know me,” he said flatly, pulling away and looking around over the field, wincing as he saw in perfect view the stress she was referring to.

“Your name is Shane Anderson,” she answered smartly, taking a step back to give him his space to hear her out. “You work at JojaMart and you hate your job, naturally. You’re a Tunnelers fan and you like Rapt Green Ribbon over Morona when it comes to beer. I don’t need to know the depths of your soul to want to fuck you,” she whispered, praying to Yoba that she was the only one of them that could hear her thudding heart.

“I don’t do relationships, so don’t go catching feelings or some dumb shit,” he warned her, biting his lip as he looked her over, starting at her crimson hair, moving down to her chest before making it to her hips. The restraint on his face was apparent and it only served to pique Luna’s interest further.

“I don’t have time to be worried about a relationship,” she assured him softly, leaning over to whisper in his ear, “I’m just looking for a little bit of stress relief.” A growl from the man in front of her before he pushed her back gently left her confused as Shane looked her over once more. An internal war seemed to be raging within him but his decision seemed to be made quickly as he let out a groan of frustration, pushing his lips onto hers. The kiss lacked any semblance of sweetness or romance, something she was silently grateful for. She really did mean it, she had no time whatsoever for any kind of romance.

Clothes didn’t last long between them after they stumbled over the threshold to her cottage. Shane was the last to have anything on, leaving Luna to squat down in front of him, slowly unbuckling his jeans as she stared up at him. His erection broke free, her head spinning as it bounced in front of her. She steadied herself, raising an eyebrow at him and grinning with intent before taking him into her mouth. She slid him in and out of her mouth, humming softly as she went, allowing the sound of his low groans to start blocking out the thoughts of failure plaguing her to finally be silenced.

“Oh my Yoba,” Shane swore, his head tilted back as Luna picked up her pace. She let him go with a loud pop, returning her eyes to his as she dragged her tongue up the shaft, swirling it at the tip before taking him into her mouth again.

“Mmmm,” she hummed into him, getting his knees to shake as she took his balls into her hand, rolling them over gently. His knees truly began trembling, shaking as she fell into a comfortable rhythm.

“Y-You said you wanted to get fucked right,” Shane asked, his voice hitching. She smiled up at him sweetly and nodded. “Then you better get up on this fucking bed.”

With a final slobbery _pop_ , she relented and crawled back up onto the bed. She came to rest on her knees, spreading her legs and allowing him full view of her.

“N-No, flip over,” he swallowed, “I wanna see those tits of yours bounce while I fuck you.”

She hesitated, finally conceding when it became obvious she wasn’t going to get to just bury her face in her pillow to ignore the spinning world around her. Growing impatient, Shane grabbed her hips, flipping her over to feast on her exposed vulnerable form splayed out beneath him. His dominant nature only served to turn her on even more and when he finally slid inside of her, there was no need for any saliva to help things along.

“Yoba,” Shane crooned, picking up his pace. “You feel so fucking good, baby”

“Just fuck me,” she insisted, her skin crawling at the affectionate nickname. If Shane even noticed, she’d never know as he only responded by pounding into her. Closing her eyes, any thoughts of the farm, her life before or her impending future disappeared as he thrusted deeper, his thumb trained on her clit in a continuous, gentle rotation.

“Y-You fucking like that?” he asked, running his hand through his hair to force any strays back with the sweat beaded on his brow. 

“Yoba, yes,” she swore, staring into the headboard to avoid what she assumed would be uncomfortable eye contact. “Please, just please fuck me from behind.”

“Fuck, fine,” he relented, withdrawing from her. She flipped over eagerly, spreading her legs as she backed closer to him until he finally slammed into her again. The feeling of his hips slamming into her ass was exactly what she needed to send her over the edge and she did just that, letting out a strangled cry as she collapsed onto the bed. He continued for a moment, letting her ride her high before ultimately slowing to a stop. He pulled out of her again, going to hunt for his pants as she returned to any amount of sense.

“Did you come?” Luna asked nervously, watching him dress himself. 

“It’s all good,” he shrugged, pulling his jacket on. “Hope that helped with your stress problem. I’ll see you around.”

“H-Hey, wait-“

He was out the door before she could offer him to stay the night. She jumped up, desperately searching the floor for her clothes but by the time she was decent enough to chase out the door after him, he’d disappeared through the trees, headed down the path at the bottom of her pond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing for Stardew, but I've been toying with this idea in the back of my mind. Please tell me what you think (just please be nice about it) and I will see you in the next update! Thank you so much!


	2. Where Is My Mind?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna deals with the next morning and meets Abigail, Marnie and that mysterious dark-haired man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's only been five months. I can update this right? See ya in another five months! Jkjk, I hope.

When Luna woke up the next morning, her memory was just as blissfully hazy as she wanted it to be, with a sore throbbing lingering between her thighs. She didn’t want, nor need, to remember all of the sordid details from the night before. She was just grateful for the relaxed demeanor she had awoken with that morning, humming along to a song she’d heard in the bar last night as she washed the remnants of her tryst away in the shower. 

She finally left the house around nine-thirty, making a beeline to Pierre’s store in search of seeds for this season’s harvest. At first, she didn’t even notice the eyes on her, most of which belonged to people she’d come to recognize from the saloon. She made her purchase, spending the last of her rainy day fund, sealing her fate in this new life of hers. She actually felt good about the decision for the first time since she stepped into the overgrown field and as she headed for the door, she started plotting out the most efficient way to get her new seeds into the ground. Humming that same song from the night before as she read over the packet of potato seeds, a low whisper broke her of her reverie.

“Hussy.”

Luna’s head whipped up from the packet to find a small elderly woman glaring up at her from the aisle by the door. “Excuse me?”

“You heard what she said, girl,” a man in a wheelchair grumbled. The elderly woman looked Luna over one last time, wearing a look of putrid disgust before huffing and pushing what Luna assumed was her husband out of the front door.

“What the fuck is happening?” Luna mumbled to herself, watching the couple disappear.

“Had a fun night at the Saloon last night, huh?” a purple haired clerk asked her, looking up from the merchandise she was restocking.

“I mean, yeah, but I’m not sure how that’s anyone’s business?” Luna retorted sharply, earning a signal of surrender from the clerk.

“Hey, not your enemy,” she assured her, “You’re the new farmer from the city, right? Beginner’s tip for small towns, don’t do anything you don’t want the whole town to know about.”

“Listen, I’m pretty hungover, could you just spell it out?” Luna asked, softening her tone. Any feeling of stress free bliss had been washed away by the disapproving glare of the bitter old woman making her suddenly aware of the throbbing on each side of her head. The clerk’s eyes shifted around, making sure no one was close enough to overhear before continuing.

“You and Shane, last night at the bar,” she whispered, blushing softly. “Everyone saw him walk you home,so, naturally they all think-”

“-that I fucked Shane?” Luna bellowed, her head throbbing from the escalated volume. Eyes all over the store snapped to her, as a red tinge creeped up her collar. Lowering her voice to a sharp whisper and trying to ignore the sudden uptick in whispers, she continued, “So what if I did? We’re both adults and it was consensual. Past that, it’s no one’s business but my own.”

“Again, not your enemy,” the girl reminded her. Luna finally took notice of her nametag and it seemed that Abigail was at least being mostly genuine. “Mr. and Mrs. Mullner are from a different time. I think you’ll find that most people here don’t actually care.”

“Fantastic,” Luna grumbled under her breath, pulling her bags close to her chest before pushing her way out of the door and avoiding all possible eye contact as she headed straight home.

* * *

“ _ Who in the hell does that woman think she is? _ ” Luna thought to herself, digging her hoe into the ground with excessive force. Only half of her seeds had made it into the ground, but she had developed a careful routine to keep her hands busy as her mind went wild.

“Me, a hussy,” she scoffed under her breath, her cheeks burning at the memory. “The fuck does it matter? We’re both consenting adults. Why are small town people like this?”

It had taken a repeated mantra of “ _ You can’t go back to Joja _ ” and “ _ Fuck what that sour old bitty thinks _ ” to stop her from stuffing what she could fit back into her suitcases and disappearing back into Zuzu City with her tail between her legs. She resolved to spend most of her time on the farm, utilizing her shipping bin as opposed to going back into Pierre’s more than she needed to. It was just a complete shock to her system, one that when her mind slipped away from her menial task, she felt stilled to her core and just a little too aware of her surroundings. 

When she finally had her crops in the ground and watered, she faced the sky and took a long steadying breath to try to will her calm composure from the morning back. It was still early so it seemed a sweep of the property was in order to see just how much debris was spread over the wide expanse. As she neared the southern edge of her property, Shane‘s face popped into her mind and the memory of him disappearing down the path played for her again, albeit with hazy framing and a general pit in her stomach. Her feet followed the path into a small forest as she told herself she would be staying away from town, not barring herself from exploring. 

At the end of the path was another farm, this one much smaller than hers and seemed to focus more on animals than crops. A small girl was playing outside with her dolls, watching down the path expectantly every few minutes only for her head to drop as she went back to her toys. The sound of Luna’s feet on the path brought her head up once again, looking directly down the path that she assumed headed into town before she looked around, confusion on her face. Her eyes finally rested on Luna, who froze on the spot as the little girl stood up to greet her.

“...Hi…” was all she offered, eyeing the strange woman nervously. Luna plastered a smile on her face, trying to think of what to say to her. She hadn’t been around kids since she had been one herself and she tore through the recesses of her memory as she tried to remember what little kids even liked.

“H-Hi,” Luna offered pathetically, “I’m Luna, I live up the way there.”

“You live at the haunted farm?!” The little girl gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth as her eyes ventured to the path Luna had emerged from.

“H-Haunted?” Luna giggled, “It’s not haunted.”

“Oh yeah? I’ve heard the ghost that lives up there!” she insisted, rooting herself to the spot. “Aunt Marnie never believes me but at night I hear all kinds of weird noises!”

“Oh really? What kind of noises?” Luna inquired, trying to keep the grin from spreading over her face.

“W-Well, sometimes it’s just like, music but I’ve also heard footsteps a-and-”

“Now, now Jas,” a matronly voice called from the farmhouse, making both of them jump. “Don’t go scaring the new farmer!”

“It’s true! I heard it!” Jas cried, turning to face the woman Luna had seen with Lewis the night before, her fist balled at her sides. “There are ghosts up there!”

“Inside, Jas!” she declared, pointing an authoritative finger at the door behind her. Jas stomped inside, leaving her toys where they laid on the ground with one last fleeting glance down the path headed to town.

“S-Sorry about that,” Luna stammered, tucking a tendril behind her ear as the large woman sighed in frustration.

“It’s alright dear,” she smiled warmly, “Luna, right? I’m Marnie. I run the ranch here so if you’re ever looking to branch out into animal products, come see me!”

“Thank you,” Luna smiled, relieved it seemed Abigail’s words were at least a little true. Marnie had to have seen her with Shane last night, but the wide smile spreading across her face assured her that she didn’t seem to hold it against her. “I was just out for a walk, getting to know the valley actually.”

“Oh, well don’t let me keep you!” Marnie laughed. “If you head that way you’ll be back in town but pretty much every other direction is nothing but wooded. Great for foraging, if you’re into that. Just don’t go too far west, there’s an old tower out there and it just gives me the willies.”

“Speaking of the willies, any idea about the ‘ghosts’ that Jas thinks are haunting my farm?” Luna asked.

“Some of the kids liked to go hang out in the field before you moved in,” Marnie explained. Luna nodded, everything coming together nicely, along with a little disappointment that she wouldn’t be running into her grandfather’s ghost.

“Well, it was nice to meet you Marnie,” Luna smiled brightly, turning away to head into the unexplored expanse Marnie had told her about.

“L-Luna- Wait-” Marnie called after her as she stepped off the property. She turned to find the woman now biting her lip as her eyes looked around fretfully. “Y-You went home with my nephew, Shane last night, right?”

“ _ Oh no, _ ” Luna thought to herself, hesitantly confirming.

“Sweetheart, I’m not one to judge a situation,” Marnie started, choosing her words very carefully, “but there is something you need to know about my nephew-”

“I-I won’t see him again, I promise,” Luna cut her off, expecting the worst. Marnie’s brow furrowed as she stared at the girl in front of her before shaking her head and continuing.

“N-No, sweetheart, that’s not what I wanted to say,” she assured her, moving closer to her and resting a hand on her shoulder. “Shane has, Shane’s been going through a rough time lately and he used to be a lot different than how he is now but,” she paused to wipe away a stray tear and steady her voice, “he’s a good man and I just don’t want you to take some of the things he says seriously. He’s got a lot of anger in him.”

“Joja does that to a person,” Luna nodded. As Marnie spoke, Luna had trained her vision on the pile of toys Jas had left behind, trying to steady herself. 

“Oh, you worked for Joja?” Marnie asked, with a final clearing of her throat. Her smile returned to her face and any hint of the heavy conversation evaporated from the air between them.

“Yup, ten years in Corporate,” Luna grimaced, twisting her boot in the dirt. “I had to get out of there, and this was my best option.”

“Well, I hope you love it here like we do,” Marnie beamed, looking around her Ranch proudly.

“I hope I do too,” Luna said, distracting herself from the intrusive memory from that morning.

“Oh, I know that look, what’s wrong?” Marnie asked cautiously. Unintentional tears sprung to Luna’s eyes at the thought of talking to someone about it but something in Marnie’s warm smile allowed the words to come even though her anxiety was screaming at her to keep quiet.

Luna opened her mouth to explain but the words wouldn’t come. Marnie’s warm smile urged her on but Luna only shook her head. “N-Nothing,” she assured her with a wave of her hand, “Just stressed out.”

“Well, if you ever need to talk or anything, you know where I am,” Marnie told her, her smile faltering as Luna pulled her arm across her body. 

“Thanks Marnie, I’ll see you around.”

* * *

Luna cut through the dense woods, eyeing a small dandelion sprouting up from the ground. She gently coaxed it out of the ground, rocking it back and forth until the earth around it finally surrendered it to her hand. Tucking it into her bag, she took a moment to truly take in her surroundings. She could hear small lapping waves in the distance and made a beeline for the water. The trees gave way to a small dock with a waterline that extended into the horizon. To her left was a small tower, dark smoke oozing out of the chimney. Her feet guided her closer, only to tuck behind a tree when she heard low singing coming from the other side of the lake.

“ _ You don’t own me, don’t try to change me in any way. You don’t own me, don’t tie me down ‘cause I’d never stay. _ ”

Luna was surprised to find the clerk from Pierre’s absentmindedly making her way around the lake with her earbuds in. Luna froze, wondering what the best course of action would be. Unfortunately, she never got the chance to even make a decision as a squirrel ran through the brush at her feet, bringing Abigail’s eyes right to her.

“Oh! Luna!” she beamed, heading right over to her. “How are you? You ran right out of the store-“

“Yeah, I’m good now,” Luna interrupted, not wanting to get into it.

“You should come to the Saloon with me tonight! Evelyn and her bitter old husband never show their faces in there,” Abigail insisted.

“I-I don’t think that’s such a good idea-“

“No, it totally is!” she continued, “My friends come in to play pool and hang out. Go in there with your head held high, don’t let them shame you into being a hermit.”

“I’m really tired, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it out,” Luna lied. If she was honest with herself, her resolve to just stay at home was already shaky at best and it wouldn’t take much nudging from the precocious purple haired girl to get her to come along. 

“Luna, your mouth is telling me no, but your eyes are telling me to ask you again.” Luna’s eyes went wide at being called out, but she stayed silent, doing her best to keep a grin from betraying her. “Come on, please? You’ve gotta meet Sam and Sebastian. They’re my best friends.”

“Abigail, you don’t even know me,” Luna reminded her, hysterics leaking into her voice as her resolve faltered even more.

“Alright, fine. Hi, Luna. My name is Abigail, but seriously, just call me Abby. My mom and dad run Pierre’s Grocery in Pelican Town.” She introduced herself with an air of exaggerated grandeur, clearly not amused by Luna’s playing hard to get. “Your turn.”

“I, uh-“ 

“It’s okay, I don’t bite.”

“Fine. My name is Luna Butler. I’m from Zuzu City where I worked for Joja and hated every moment of my life. I came to Stardew Valley to get away from the hell hole only to find it already rooted into the culture here, despite most people acting like the building is a huge eyesore.”

“Oh shit, you worked for Joja? No wonder you and Shane hit it off.”

“Goodbye, Abigail,” Luna dismissed her, turning on her heel at the mention of the name she’d been trying so hard not to think about. 

“Seriously! Just call me Abby,” Abigail called after her, amused annoyance leaking into her voice.

* * *

When the sun had finally set, it was hard to ignore the sounds of mirth carried from Pelican Town. Fridays had been her favorite bar night since college. Something about the collective sigh of relief that the week's work was over. She was struggling to steady her resolve again, hearing Abigail’s voice on repeat as she tried laying down to go to sleep. 

As it normally does, curiosity won out and Luna chucked the blankets over her, digging through her luggage for something comfortable but still provocative. She settled on a pair of skinny jeans and a horror tee shirt she had artfully “destroyed”. Ten minutes in front of the world‘s shakiest mirror left her with cat eyes and red lips. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail, taking care to pull her bangs forward before securing the crimson tendrils with her hair tie. Once last inspection in the mirror left her feeling good and she spent longer than she’d ever admit checking herself out in the mirror. 

It seemed she had just enough confidence and courage to lead her to the Saloon’s door. Her hand faltered as it rested on the warm wood, a smell from her right catching her attention and allowing her to avoid her cowardice for just a little bit longer. The harsh scent tickled her nose and left her with a craving in her gut. As she cut the corner she was surprised to find a dark haired man tucked around the side of the building, seeming to be hiding in the shadows just as much as she wanted to.

“Oh, hey,” he said, taken aback by her sudden appearance.

“H-Hey,” she murmured, straining against the dark to get a good look at him. It seemed to be his intent to disappear into the darkness and Luna couldn't help but be intrigued by him for it.

“I-I’m Luna,” she introduced herself nervously, holding a trembling hand out toward him. 

“Oh, you’re the new farmer out on Tombstone Farm,” he nodded, taking her hand and giving it a shake. His hand was far softer than she’d come to expect from the Valley and she found herself missing the feeling as soon as it left. “Why, out of all places did you choose Pelican Town?”

“I needed a change from the city. That place is literal hell on wheels,” she told him with a sigh. She’d expected to have to explain her decision to her family but she hadn’t expected everyone in the Valley to be so interested in her life choices. She eyed the burning ember by what she assumed was his mouth, biting her lip as a long dead craving creeped back up on her. “D-Do you mind if I bum one off of you?”

“Yeah, here,” he said, pulling his pack out and handing her one. “It’s a menthol, just so you know.”

“Oh, even better.” She leaned into his lighter, briefly getting a look at his face before he slammed the lighter shut. His hair was dark as well, but he appeared to be just as pale as she was before she started taking up farm work. She coughed as the toxic smoke permeated her lungs but she welcomed the burning sensation it left behind, marred only by the minty aftertaste of the menthol.

“You gonna be alright?” he chuckled. His laugh was low and haughty, but still managed to make her stomach flip. God, what kind of girl was she? Last night she was all over Shane and now one cigarette and laugh at her expense was making her heart race.

“Y-Yeah, I’ll be fine,” she assured him unconvincingly. Even in the dark she could feel his scrutinizing gaze on her as he laughed again.

“Well, I’d better get inside. Have a good night,” he told her, dropping his cigarette to the ground and stomping it out. He pushed past her, finally coming into the light. Whatever Luna had imagined was nothing to how he truly looked in the light. Long, black hair fell in front of his eyes and his long lanky form was a sight to behold on it’s own. Luna bit her lip as she looked him over, taking a deep breath before speaking again.

“W-Wait, I never caught your name,” she stammered, unable to take her eyes off of him.

“O-Oh, I’m Sebastian,” he said, stopping to face her again.

“Wait, Abigail’s Sebastian?”

“Not- I guess, kinda?" he explained, obviously flustered. "I-In what context?"

“O-Oh, she just said you two were friends, sorry,” Luna blushed. “She wanted me to come out tonight to meet her friends.”

“Wow, you’re really ahead of schedule aren’t you. Abby’s gonna be pissed she didn’t get to make the introductions.” Sebastian grinned at the thought. “Well, I’ll see you in there, I guess. We can pretend we never met if you wanna make Abby feel better about herself.”

“Sure, why not,” Luna grinned back at him. Sebastian gave her one last small wave before disappearing back into the saloon. Luna could feel the giddiness bubbling up in her gut but as she reached for the doorknob, her heart raced. She couldn’t go in there. She could see it now. She walks in, says hi to Abigail and lets her do her introductions. Eyes are on her from everyone in town to see if the new girl brings another guy home and the worst part is they wouldn’t even be wrong to think so. She knew she would try to woo Sebastian into coming home with her.

No, it was better for her to just go home, get back into her pajamas, crawl back under her blankets and call it a night. There would be another time, a better time to meet Abigail and her friends.

“Hey, Abby, sorry I’ll miss you guys but I’m wiped from working out on the farm today,” Luna typed out in a text, “Maybe next Friday we’ll get together, alright? I’ll see you around.”


End file.
